In the last fifty years, the general populace has increasingly recognized the need and importance of physical fitness. This need has arisen because of studies done by the medical community showing the importance of a balanced diet and moderate exercise. However, due to the increasingly sedentary lifestyle of the population, numerous home exercise devices have been developed. These devices include, but are not limited to, stationary bicycles, free weights and resistance weight machines that use specially designed rubber bands or pneumatic tubes.
In particular, various devices and exercisers have been developed to strengthen the hand, wrist, and forearm muscles. For example, dumbbells or free weights have been used to perform a wrist curl type exercise. A wrist curl is performed by holding a dumbbell in the palm of the hand with the fingers and thumb holding the weight therein. The dumbbell is first held with the palm of the hand towards the bicep muscle, the hand is then slowly relaxed letting the dumbbell roll down the fingers until the weight is supported by just the tips of the fingers. The weight is then slowly pulled back toward the bicep muscle by reclenching the fingers toward the palm of the hand. Another exercise device is the hand held wrist spring. This mechanism is used by placing the thumb on one of the ends of the spring and the tips of the fingers on the other and then drawing the thumb and the fingers together. Specialized rubber band type devices may also be used, whereby a person holds each end of the rubber band in a receptive hand and then proceed to stretch and relax the rubber band in numerous repetitions. As muscles in the forearms develop, a higher resistance rubber band may be used to increase one's strength. It is also well known that squeezing a tennis ball or other similar type rubber ball will strengthen the hand and forearm muscles.
Unfortunately, use of the aforementioned exercise devices has several drawbacks. One problem is that once a person has exercised long enough with the aforementioned weight, spring, or rubber band device, that device will no longer be used as an increased resistance or heavier weight is required to further develop the subject muscle area. Another disadvantage is that these devices are not readily compatible with other exercise equipment.
While use of the exercise devices to strengthen muscles is well known, it is also known that the flexing or stretching of muscles prior to activities requiring those muscles can lead to the most effective use of the muscles and prevention of injury thereto. Specifically, it has been found that persons using keyboards, sewing machines, or other devices requiring prolonged usage of the hands and arms in a rotated position are given to development of carpal tunnel syndrome. However, the risk of developing such a malady is significantly reduced when the arm and wrist muscles are flexed and exercised prior to the damaging activity. However, there is no known exercise device available for exercising the arm and wrist for such purpose.
Therefore, there is a need for a low impact resistance type exercise device adaptable with other exercise equipment that is easily adjustable to exercise the hand, wrist, and forearm muscles in addition to the muscles of the upper arm and upper back. There is also a need in the art for an exercise device adaptable to exercise the ankle and foot muscles. There is a further need for a simple and effective device as aforesaid which permits flexure of the wrist and forearm prior to engagement in keyboard-type activities. Furthermore, there is a need to provide such an exercise system for older individuals to provide a low-impact therapeutic exercise device.